God or money?

God or money?

(Mark 10:17-22)

The pursuit of money

In past societies, if a man had no wages he faced literal starvation and death. A supply of money insulated him from the fear of death by starvation. Later, money replaced the supplies of food and clothing. Soon, those who had more money forgot the reason they had so much. Money became a purpose in itself, a status symbol and a measure of success.

Some rich people have tendency to become superior to those who have little or no money. They can enjoy their life of luxury, which is not available to others. They are given tremendous power and they think that they can use their money to rule over other people. ‘The love of money’ finally becomes idolatry. This is why the Apostle Paul said: ‘The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.’ (1 Tim. 6:10a)

The Lord Jesus talked a lot about money

We need to ask three main questions concerning money: 1. How did I obtain it? (Legally and honestly?); 2. What am I doing with it? (Buying unnecessary luxuries or helping the needy?); 3. What is it doing to me? Some of the Lord Jesus’ parables address the heart of the last question. 16 of the 38 parables the Lord Jesus gave, were concerning money or possessions. Out of all the problems needing addressed, almost half of His parables touch the issue of money or possessions.

Wrong use of money

How often it is true that we spend money we don’t have to buy things we don’t need in order to make an impression on people we don’t like. The problem is not that money itself is bad. The real problem is simply that money has a tendency to replace God.

What is the problem?

In Mark 10:17-22 we read about young man who seemed to be seeking after God. He is offered the amazing opportunity to be with the Lord Jesus and learn from Him. However, he walked away disturbed because he would not give up all that he had. The problem is not that his money was bad. The problem was simply that his money made him a slave.

Today’s tragedy

The real tragedy is that so many people today are running after money. They are aiming at money because they have never realized that there is something far more important. Too often in our running after making a living, we fail to make a life. In our running after money, we fail to see the larger purpose of our time on earth.

What is the goal of my life concerning money?

Am I using money to live, or do I live for money?

Dr. Czeslaw Bassara ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ; www.proword.eu)